Nutritive value and acceptability of winged bean genotypes

Abstract

Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus L.), though relatively unknown is a multipurpose legume which appears to meet many dietary needs of our country and will be of immense help in reducing protein calorie malnutrition. The present study was undertaken to estimate the nutritional composition and acceptability of the edible parts like leaves, flowers, immature pods and dry seeds of . the five selected winged beans genotypes. The different edible portions of winged bean were analysed for moisture, protein, starch, fat, fibre, energy, calcium, iron and vitamin C. The protein, starch, fat and energy contents of the seeds were found to be high when compared to the other edible parts. The seeds of winged bean can be said to be a rich source of protein, fat and energy. The leaves and flowers were found to be rich in minerals like calcium and iron while all the different edible parts were fair sources of vitamin C. The nutrient content of most of the edible parts varied significantly among the different genotypes selected for the study. The antinutritional factor tannin, present in the seeds was analysed before and after cooking. On cooking, the tannin content of the seeds was found to decrease considerably. The acceptability tests were carried out on the different edible parts. The different characters like colour, doneness, texture, flavour and taste were evaluated. Results showed that all the edible parts of winged bean were highly acceptable. There was no significant variation in the acceptability of the edible parts between the different genotypes.